1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to orthopedic surgical instruments and more particularly to an improved instrument for holding and manipulating wires and pins that are used in orthopedic surgical procedures such as the Ilizarov surgical procedure, intramedullary rod placement, and like surgical procedures. Even more particularly, the present invention relates to an improved guide rod and pin holder that can interchangeably support guide rods and surgical pins of differing diameters, wherein an adjustable four bar linkage is operated by a trigger to pinch the guide rod. The degree to which the rod is indented depends upon the setting of a turnbuckle that is part of the four bar linkage.
2. General Background
Various orthopedic surgical procedures require the use of various types of guide rods and surgical pins. For example, in the placement of intramedullary rods and recon nails, guide rods are first placed by the surgeon to define the path that is then traveled by the implant (such as an intramedullary nail).
When a surgeon affixes an Ilizarov type fixation system to a patient, a plurality of bone pins are inserted transversely through the patient's bone above and below a fracture or bone defect. These procedures require that the surgeon be able to easily and effectively hold and manipulate the wires and pins.
Patents have issued that relate to linkage systems that are part of an instrument. These include for example, the Harthmeister U.S. Pat. No. 5,284,487 and the Tepic U.S. Pat. No. 5,052,243.